EP1318020B1 - Verfahren und Gerät zum Drucken von Graustufen - Google Patents

Verfahren und Gerät zum Drucken von Graustufen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1318020B1
EP1318020B1 EP20010000713 EP01000713A EP1318020B1 EP 1318020 B1 EP1318020 B1 EP 1318020B1 EP 20010000713 EP20010000713 EP 20010000713 EP 01000713 A EP01000713 A EP 01000713A EP 1318020 B1 EP1318020 B1 EP 1318020B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
dot
density
super
pixel
dots
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP20010000713
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1318020A1 (de
Inventor
Rudi Vanhooydonck
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Agfa Gevaert NV
Agfa Gevaert AG
Original Assignee
Agfa Gevaert NV
Agfa Gevaert AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Agfa Gevaert NV, Agfa Gevaert AG filed Critical Agfa Gevaert NV
Priority to DE2001622178 priority Critical patent/DE60122178T2/de
Priority to EP20010000713 priority patent/EP1318020B1/de
Priority to US10/283,537 priority patent/US6702416B2/en
Priority to JP2002348773A priority patent/JP2003237141A/ja
Publication of EP1318020A1 publication Critical patent/EP1318020A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1318020B1 publication Critical patent/EP1318020B1/de
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/40—Picture signal circuits
    • H04N1/40087—Multi-toning, i.e. converting a continuous-tone signal for reproduction with more than two discrete brightnesses or optical densities, e.g. dots of grey and black inks on white paper
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/205—Ink jet for printing a discrete number of tones
    • B41J2/2056—Ink jet for printing a discrete number of tones by ink density change
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/21—Ink jet for multi-colour printing
    • B41J2/2121—Ink jet for multi-colour printing characterised by dot size, e.g. combinations of printed dots of different diameter
    • B41J2/2128—Ink jet for multi-colour printing characterised by dot size, e.g. combinations of printed dots of different diameter by means of energy modulation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/40—Picture signal circuits
    • H04N1/40025—Circuits exciting or modulating particular heads for reproducing continuous tone value scales
    • H04N1/40031—Circuits exciting or modulating particular heads for reproducing continuous tone value scales for a plurality of reproducing elements simultaneously

Definitions

  • US-6102513 describes a method and apparatus for printing an output image on a receiver medium in response to an input image file defined by a plurality of pixels. Each pixel obtains a pixel value.
  • the apparatus includes a print head with a plurality of nozzles. Each of the nozzles is capable of ejecting a plurality of ink droplets therefrom. The centres of ink droplets of different volumes are placed at the centre of a pixel on the receiver. In this way, ink spots of different diameters or sizes are symmetrically placed within pixels on the receiver.
  • a second method to obtain a grey image is density modulated printing, in which grey levels are achieved by printing dots of the same size, but with a different ink density.
  • a different ink density is obtained by reducing the transparency of the ink for certain dots. Light passes more or less through the ink, depending on the density or the colour of the ink. Because it is impossible to have 256 heads each printing a different ink, the ink has to be mixed during printing. This can be done either before jetting, such as described e.g. in US-5606351 or in US-6097406, or on the medium.
  • continuous tone pixels are produced on a receiver by controlling the amount of ink delivered to the receiver in order to control the optical density of the pixels. All image pixels have equal areas on the receiver, regardless of the volumes of ink deposited. When a low optical density is desired, little ink is delivered; and when a high optical density is desired, more ink is delivered.
  • At least two inks with different grey levels may be used.
  • L is the number of levels of droplet sizes
  • P is the number of pixels in a super-pixel
  • P is the number of pixels in a super-pixel
  • the area on which ink is put, in the double hatched square between dot 2 and dot 4 can be calculated as follows.
  • An origin O is chosen for example in the centre point c3 of dot 3, as shown in Fig. 6b, and co-ordinates of each of the points of intersection are calculated, thereby using the calculated angles anglei_j 1 j 2 , the distance dh in horizontal direction between the centres of two neighbouring dots, and the distance dv in vertical direction between the centres of two neighbouring dots.
  • dh and dv are equal, but in general they may be different.
  • the density of a super-pixel can be calculated for every combination of dots within that super-pixel.
  • the mean density of two such rectangles, which are neighbouring is only varying a little. It is possible to calculate this density for a certain misalignment of the dot placement. Thereafter, for example all densities which are out of range more than half the value of the Kanamori curve for a certain density may be rejected. Out of the remaining values, e.g. 256 grey values are chosen which are free of tolerance. This method can be used for dot-misalignment up to 4 ⁇ m.
  • the parameters to be stored in the data store 70 may be set into the data store 70 from host computer 30, e.g. by printer driver software running on the host computer 30.
  • printer driver software running on the host computer 30.
  • a printer driver of the host computer 30 determines the various parameters that define the printing operations and transfers these to the printer controller 60 for writing into the data store 70. Based on these parameters, the printer controller 60 reads the required information contained in the printing data stored in the buffer memory 40 and sends control signals to the drivers 62, 64 and 44.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Discrete Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Color, Gradation (AREA)
  • Image Processing (AREA)
  • Fax Reproducing Arrangements (AREA)
  • Facsimile Image Signal Circuits (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Verfahren zum Drucken eines Bilds mit Superpixeln, wobei jedes Superpixel eine Graustufe aufweist und eine Kombination von Punkten in benachbarten Zellen auf einem Druckmedium umfaßt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Punkte in benachbarten Zellen innerhalb mindestens eines Superpixels unabhängig gesteuert werden bezüglich:
    1) einer Größe jedes Punkts,
    2) einer Dichte jedes Punkts und
    3) einer mindestens teilweisen Überlappung von mindestens zweien der Punkte in benachbarten Zellen.
  2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, wobei jedes Superpixel aus mehreren zusammenhängenden Zellen besteht und mindestens ein Punkt in jeder Zelle gedruckt werden kann.
  3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei mindestens zwei Tinten mit verschiedenen Graustufen verwendet werden.
  4. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Graustufe der Superpixel eine einer Auswahl von Graustufen aus den mehreren Graustufen von Superpixeln ist, die sich durch mehrere Kombinationen von Punkten in benachbarten Zellen auf einem Druckmedium erhalten lassen, wobei die Graustufe eines Superpixels bestimmt wird von der Größe jedes Punkts, der Dichte jedes Punkts und einer Überlappung von mindestens zweien der Punkte in benachbarten Zellen innerhalb des Superpixels und wobei die Auswahl von Graustufen auf der Kanamori-Kurve basiert.
  5. Verfahren nach Anspruch 4, wobei die Auswahl weiterhin auf Stabilität basiert durch das Umfassen des Schritts des Zurückweisens der durch Punktkombinationen erhaltenen Graustufen, die aufgrund einer Punktfehlplazierung eine hohe Dichteabweichung zeigen.
  6. Verwendung eines beliebigen der Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 bis 5 zum Erhalten von Graustufen für das Drucken medizinischer Bilder.
  7. Vorrichtung zum Drucken eines Bilds mit Superpixeln, wobei Superpixel aus einer Kombination von Punkten in benachbarten Zellen besteht, die auf ein Druckmedium gedruckt werden sollen, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung Mittel umfaßt zum unabhängigen Steuern von Punkten in benachbarten Zellen innerhalb eines Superpixels bezüglich:
    1) einer Größe jedes Punkts,
    2) einer Dichte jedes Punkts und
    3) einer mindestens teilweisen Überlappung von mindestens zweien der Punkte in benachbarten Zellen.
  8. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7, wobei Mittel zum Drucken eines Punkts mit einer Tinte aus mindestens zwei möglichen Tinten mit verschiedenen Graustufen vorgesehen sind.
  9. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 7 oder 8, weiterhin mit Mitteln zum Auswählen der Größe jedes Punkts, der Dichte jedes Punkts und der Überlappung von mindestens zweien der Punkte in benachbarten Zellen, wobei die Auswahl auf der Kanamori-Kurve basiert.
  10. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 9, wobei das Mittel für eine Auswahl weiterhin dafür ausgelegt ist, auf der Basis von Stabilität auszuwählen durch Enthalten eines Mittels zum Zurückweisen der durch Punktkombinationen erhaltenen Graustufen, die aufgrund einer Punktfehlplazierung eine hohe Dichteabweichung zeigen.
EP20010000713 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Verfahren und Gerät zum Drucken von Graustufen Expired - Lifetime EP1318020B1 (de)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2001622178 DE60122178T2 (de) 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Verfahren und Gerät zum Drucken von Graustufen
EP20010000713 EP1318020B1 (de) 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Verfahren und Gerät zum Drucken von Graustufen
US10/283,537 US6702416B2 (en) 2001-12-05 2002-10-30 Methods and apparatus for printing grey levels
JP2002348773A JP2003237141A (ja) 2001-12-05 2002-11-29 グレーレベルを印刷するための方法及び装置

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP20010000713 EP1318020B1 (de) 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Verfahren und Gerät zum Drucken von Graustufen

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1318020A1 EP1318020A1 (de) 2003-06-11
EP1318020B1 true EP1318020B1 (de) 2006-08-09

Family

ID=8176105

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20010000713 Expired - Lifetime EP1318020B1 (de) 2001-12-05 2001-12-05 Verfahren und Gerät zum Drucken von Graustufen

Country Status (3)

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EP (1) EP1318020B1 (de)
JP (1) JP2003237141A (de)
DE (1) DE60122178T2 (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5388655B2 (ja) 2009-03-31 2014-01-15 キヤノン株式会社 記録装置及び記録方法

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2139450B (en) * 1983-03-08 1987-12-16 Canon Kk Color picture forming apparatus
SE462904B (sv) 1989-10-04 1990-09-17 Array Printers Ab Saett att foerbaettra utskriftsprestanda av graaskalor och faerg foer skrivare
US5606351A (en) 1994-06-20 1997-02-25 Eastman Kodak Company Altering the intensity of the color of ink jet droplets
US5625397A (en) 1994-11-23 1997-04-29 Iris Graphics, Inc. Dot on dot ink jet printing using inks of differing densities
US6059404A (en) * 1995-06-06 2000-05-09 Xerox Corporation Method and apparatus for producing ink intensity modulated ink jet printing
US6042209A (en) 1997-07-28 2000-03-28 Eastman Kodak Company Microfluidic printing with optical density control
JPH11320924A (ja) * 1998-03-13 1999-11-24 Canon Inc 画像記録装置及びその制御方法並びに記録装置
US6097406A (en) 1998-05-26 2000-08-01 Eastman Kodak Company Apparatus for mixing and ejecting mixed colorant drops

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2003237141A (ja) 2003-08-27
DE60122178T2 (de) 2007-08-23
DE60122178D1 (de) 2006-09-21
EP1318020A1 (de) 2003-06-11

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